Railway signal-fusee.



, P.`DUTCHER. RAILWAY SIGNAL FUSEE. uPLIoATIoH FILED M1114, 1911.

Patented 111011.21, 1911. A

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DTJ'TCHEB, 0F VERSAILLES, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILWAY SIGNAL-Fuser.

Specication of Letters Patent. Patented NOV. 21, 191 1 Application mea April 14, 1911. serial No. 621,141.

To all whom 'it may concem:

Be it known that I, FRANK DUTcHnR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Versailles,in the county of Allegheny .and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Signal-Fusees, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein`to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to improvements in railway signal fusees, and the object of which is to provide an improved construction for the lighting of the fusee by the trainman,-whereby the burning of the hand of the trainman is prevented, and whereby accidental ignition of the fusee in transit is also prevented, both of which will be fully. explained hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings-Figure 1 is a side elevation of a fusee with my improved lighting cap applied thereto and shown in longitudinal section.l Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the manner of using my improved construction for lighting the fusee. Figs. 3 and 4 are longitudinal sectional views of fusee caps showing slightly modified forms of my present improvement.

Referring now to the drawings, 1 is a fusee of the ordinary construction, to the outer end of which is applied ay complementary igniting substance 2, which is usually composed of chlorate.

My improvement comprises a section of a paper tube 3, the lower end of which is of a size adapted to receive the lighting end of a fusee. the tube 3, is a wood plug 4. The inner end of this wood plug 4 1s recessed as shown at 5, to prevent the end of the plug engaging the igniting material 2. This plug 4 is secured in the end of the tube 3 in any suitable manner, such-as cement or by means of tacks (not shown).

The outer end of the plug 4 isprovided with an elongated inwardly projecting recess or opening 6, having an open outer end. The tube 3 extends slightly beyond the plug 4, as shown at 3', and loosely placed within this extensionv isan igniting plug 7, and this plug 7 has a an'ge 8 resting against the end of the extensionY 3, as shown, and a suitable handle 9.

The plug or igniting member 7 is provided with a small elongated projection 10,

Secured within the outer end of 1 of a diameter smaller than the recess 6, and of a length shorter than the depth of the recess, as shown in Fig. 1 and the extremity 11, of this projection 10 is. tapered and is coated with an igniting material 12, preferably by dipping it, and Athis igniting material is usually phosphorus and by frictional engagement with the chlorate complementary material 2 will cause ignition.

' The tube 3 and the plug 4 cemented therein form what is usually referred to in this art as a fusee cap. This cap and the ignitlng member 7 are secured to the fusee by means of a wrapping of paper 13, which is cemented to the fusee, the tube and the lighting member of the button 7.

In operation the cap or tube 3 is removed from the fusee by breaking away the paper at a (a twisting movement is 4all that is necessary) after which the lighting member or button 7 is removed from the tube 3 by breaking the paper wrapper 13 in the same manner. These parts being removed the trainman lights the fusee in the manner clearly illustrated in Fig. 2, by a frictional movement of the tapered end of the lighting member 7,A in frictional contact with the igniting material or chlorate material 2 on the end of the fusee l.

The advantages of' this construction are that with the`parts held by the wrapper 13 in the positions shown in Fig. 3, it is impossible either in transportation or the handling of the usee to expose the igniting materials, and as a consequence, particles of the igniting material cannot be rubbed oli' and come in contact to cause fires, which has been known to occur with the old type of signal usee. Another advantage is that, as shown in Fig. 2, ignition is effected by fric'- tional engagement with only asmall portion of the igniting material 2, owing to the small projection 10. This avoids a sudden Hash of the whole of the igniting material 2, which occurs when it is ignited by frictional engagement with practically all of its outer surface as in the old form obutton igniter and as in the old form in which the phosphorus is placed across 4the outer closed end of the fusee cap. These latter constructions required that'the igniting member be held vertical in respect to or 1n a line with the usee, and by a quick movement thereof across the igniting material ignition was effected. But inl this case practically the whole ofthe igniting material is engaged Fig. 1, in that the plug 7 also has the flange and a deeper recess 5 than is.

' in Fig.

with a consequent sudden flash which, 1n someinstances', has burned the hand of the operator and seriously.

By the elongated projection 10, which is relatively small com ared to the igniting material, it is impossi le for the operator to frictionally engage the whole of the surface of the igniting material. Furthermore, this elongated projection enables the operator to hold the igniter 7 at an angle, as shown in Fig. 2, so that his hand is at one side of and out of the l1ne with the flash caused by ignition, and to one side of the burning of the fusee, which absolutely prevents the possibility of burning the hands of the person lighting the fusee.

Fig. 3 is a slight modification ci that shown in Fig. 1, in that the plug 4 h as a ange'14 beyond the tube 3, and which rests upon the end of the tube.

Fig. 4 is a modification as compared with 14 of Fig. 3, shown in either Figs. 1 or 3. Furthermore, 4, the projection 10 is carriedby the plug 4 of theA cap or tube 3, instead of by the handle 9. In this instance the handle or plug 9 has a recess 15 to receive the elongated igniting projection 10. In operation of this construction the tube 3 is broken away from the usee as in Figs. 1 and 3, and the handle 9 is broken away from the tube or cap 3, leaving the igniting projection 10 and in this instance the operator has the tube 3 as a handle, and in which instance the hand will be farther away from the ignition end of the usee than shownA in Fig. 2.

In all of these constructions the primaryinvention of having an elongated lighting projection relatively small in respect to the fuses and igniting material is embodied, which has the advantagespointed out in respect to the structure and mode of operation of Figs. 1 and 2.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent I 1. A railway a tube having a closing 'plug mem er attached in its outer end, aremovable member located at the outer end ofthe closing plug, one of said members having an elongated reduced projection provided with igniting material-onits outer end, and the other member having an elongated recess receiving and protecting said projection.

2. A railway signal fusee cap,

the inner end of the plug having a recess and the outer end of the plug having a longitudinally extending elongated recess, a removable member located at the the plug, the removable member having a reduced elongated projection extending into said recess and provided with ignition material' at its free end.

3. A railway signal fusee cap, a tube, a plug the outer end of the plug having `a longitudinally extending recess, and a removable member at the outer end of the plug, said removable member having a reduced elongated projection extending into said recess and 'provided with igniting material atv its free end.

4. A railway signal fusee cap, comprising a tube, a plug closing one end of the tube, the outer end of the plug having a longitudinallyextending elongated recess, a removable member vat the outer end of the plug having a reduced elongated projection extending into said recess and provided with comprising igniting material on its free end, and .break-A able means temporarily attaching the removable members in said position.

' In testimony whereof I hereunto aix my signature in the presence of two witnesses; FRANK DUTCHER. Witnesses: C. R. WRIGHT, Jr.,

-I-I. A. PA'rrIsoN.

signal fusee cap, com rising j comprising atube, a plug closing one end of the tube,

outer end oi closing one end of the tube, 

